Purpose: This is the first review article examining literature specific to the use of corneal cross-linking (CXL) to treat pellucid marginal degeneration (PMD). Results: CXL appears to be an effective treatment that may halt the progression of PMD to stabilize vision. This could postpone or eliminate the need for corneal transplantation in the management of these patients. Furthermore, combining CXL with keratorefractive surgery in a single procedure has been shown to be safe and successful in improving vision in PMD patients. Conclusions: The data reported in literature is limited at this time, consisting mostly of retrospective studies with short term follow up. Further research is needed to evaluate refractive effects of combined CXL and excimer laser procedures.
Keywords: Pellucid marginal degeneration; corneal collagen crosslinking; cross linking; crosslinking; keratoectasia.